It’s All About Family at the Dell and Stephen Curry Camp

The Currys are all about family. Dell Curry even said it himself. At the State Farm Dell and Stephen Curry Parent/Child Basketball ProCamp this weekend, Dell told all the participants that family is the most important thing to the Currys. Anyone in attendance could see the camp’s focus on family bonding, not just basketball.

About 100 campers and their parents from all around the nation came to see Stephen and Dell run this camp. Literally. There were campers from 5 different states in attendance. One family even came from Michigan!

Each day, the campers went through several stations focusing on different fundamental skills. There were also contests and fun, competitive games to test those skills. In addition to these drills, both Stephen and Dell treated the campers to instructional lectures on shooting, proper mechanics, and drills that players could do to improve.

Many of the drills involved the parent and their child working together to improve their basketball skills. This fueled more encouragement and participation by both family members.

Stephen mentioned how this camp wasn’t just about getting better at basketball. He explained to the campers that basketball was the main activity of the camp, but he emphasized how the camp was more about spending time with family and bonding on another level.

Dell reiterated this point by explaining to everyone that this camp was about having fun. Both Dell and Stephen mentioned that even if basketball wasn’t your favorite sport, this camp was the perfect opportunity to learn more about basketball and spend more time with your family member.

Of course, there was still a lot of focus on the fundamentals of basketball. Dell asked everyone what the most important stat for a shooter was. He got an array of answers. Some parents said field goal percentage. Some eager young basketball players said points. Dell politely rejected their answers and jokingly informed them all that the most important stat for a shooter was field goal attempts. He explained that if a shooter doesn’t put shots up, they’re not going to make an impact.

Stephen then explained how he learned so much from his father, who played in the NBA for 16 seasons. He discussed the mechanics of a shot and stressed the importance of always being ready to shoot, being in shooting position, and staying balanced. He also talked about the need to practice shooting at game speed and repeat this process over and over. Dell made sure to mention that Stephen’s great work ethic is one of the reasons why he made it to the NBA and has been successful in his first four years with the Golden State Warriors.

He showed off his perfect shooting form and quick release in the “Beat the Pro” drill. In this drill, a shooter pretends to compete against their favorite pro basketball player, like Michael Jordan or Dell Curry, as Stephen said. The shooter goes back and forth between two spots on the floor and tries to make as many shots as possible. A made shot is one point and a missed shot is -2 points. The goal is to get to +5 before “the pro” gets to 5, or before the shooter gets to -5.

Steph went through the drill twice. The first time, he lost fairly quickly and explained to the campers that he would try the drill again and do it until he got to +5. The second time, he was able to get to +4 two different times but missed the following shots before getting to +5. He had to work his way back up, but, eventually, he was able to get to +5. Steph explained the importance of repetition and getting it right.

Dell jumped in and explained to the audience that it’s also a good drill to practice with your child. He joked that it’s a good workout for a parent, because they have to run around grabbing the rebounds. He said that it’s nice for him too, because since Steph doesn’t miss many shots, he doesn’t have to run around as much.

When Stephen and Dell weren’t teaching, they reffed some of the games, and they also participated in shooting competitions with the campers. Stephen competed against the children who had won their respective games of knockout, and Dell competed against the parents who had won. Surprisingly, Stephen got knocked out in the first round, but Dell reigned victorious in his game.

This camp was a weekend full of fun, laughter, basketball, and, most importantly, family. The humble Currys created a fun, friendly, and welcoming atmosphere for everyone. Every participant, whether they were a child or a parent, learned a lot and have a great time with their family member. This camp was definitely a family affair to remember.

About the author

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Maggie Pilloton plays basketball, tennis, soccer, flag football, and pretty much any other sport, and is a passionate Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Giants, and San Francisco 49ers fan. She's loved sports all her life, and she's full of opinions. She is the youngest of three sisters and recently graduated from UC Davis. Check out her own sports blog: http://the3rdsister.com/.